


When a Fish Loves a Lighthouse

by storywriter8



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Blow Jobs, Body Worship, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes is Shy, Bucky Barnes is a Virgin, Bucky Barnes-centric, Butchering of the Song Under the Sea, Come Swallowing, First Dates, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Light Angst, Little Mermaid Elements, Loki and Thor Are Not Related, Loki is a GOD, M/M, MerHarley, MerMay, MerMorganStark, MerPepper, MerPietro, MerRhodey, MerTony, MerWanda, Merbucky, Misunderstandings, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Overprotective friends, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers, Retired Steve Rogers, Sam Is Captain America, SeaKingLoki, Self-Conscious Bucky, Stephen Strange Makes Life Difficult, Stephen Strange is a Minor Villain, Steve Rogers is Not a Virgin, Suicidal Thoughts, Thick Bucky Barnes, Thor and Loki Created Earth, Thor is a god, Top Steve Rogers, Truth or Dare, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, magical transformations, merPeter, mermaid au, merman!bucky barnes, thigh fucking, thigh kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-09-25
Packaged: 2020-03-13 12:10:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18940657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storywriter8/pseuds/storywriter8
Summary: When retired merwarrior Bucky Barnes first catches sight of the new lighthouse keeper he is intrigued. All too soon he finds himself falling for kind and considerate Steve Rogers. After trading his tail for legs, Bucky finds true happiness in the arms of the man he loves, but fears what will happen if the land walker cannot love and accept him for what he truly is.





	1. First Sight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LeeHan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeHan/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by leehanji's amazing MerMay art.
> 
> I don't own Marvel or Disney, just like smooshing them together for my own amusement.
> 
> Well MerMay wont be FINISHED in May but I STARTED it in May! That counts right.....

Years ago, there was a war between the land and sea. Merfolk and humans at each other's throats, with the very elements threatening to tear the world apart.

In the end, the land lost. 

But so vengeful was their spirit, that the ruler of the sea feared the victory would short lived. So, as a trophy he took not gold or power, but the knowledge of his people’s existence. The memory of merfolk faded from the land dwellers, into story, into legend, into myth.

This, is not that story.

-

Bucky flicked a small pebble and then swatted it with his tail. Zipping through the water, it hit a perfect bulls-eye on the side of an amicable sea lion that the merman had bribed with a fish an hour earlier. 

Letting out a huge groan, Bucky slid lower in the sand, un-excitedly waving his arms above him. “35 out of 35, the crowd goes wild.”

The sea lion gave him a curious bark and swam over to settle on the merman’s chest.

Bucky had never really expected to make it to thirty years of age. The war with the Hydra kingdom during his youth had nearly brought his end as he fought for hearth and home against the evil from the trenches. Horrific injuries left scars covering his left arm and spilling down onto his dark blue tail. But here he was, retired and dying of boredom. 

“You think if I begged a boon from his majesty he’d let me back in the royal guard?” he asked the sea lion.

The sea lion blinked at him.

“Yeah, didn't think so,” Bucky muttered, absently twisting a lock of his shoulder length brown hair floating about him.

Rolling onto its back, the sea lion seemed to consider the merman for a moment before snatching up the blue-tinted blade, that never left Bucky’s side, and shooting towards the surface.

“You did not just-!” Bucky growled, taking off after the thieving pest. 

While none could match the speed of merfolk in the open water, this sea lion had decided to head for the nearby coastline and by the time Bucky’s head broke the surface, it was already on the sandy shore. Squinting against the unfiltered sunlight and baring his pointed teeth, Bucky hissed at the thieving little pest. Neither the shallow sloping sandy bottom or the smooth stone tide pools looks particularly enjoyable to haul himself across to get to the shore. Bucky opted for the tide pools and poked at the rocks, frown deepening.

The sea lion dropped his dagger on the sand and barked happily, slapping one flipper onto its side. Its barking turned distressed as it rolled over in the sand and came up tangled in a wad of fishing line.

Bucky was half way out of the water, ready and willing to drag his bulk across the rock to come to the little thief's rescue when his vision finally cleared and spotted them. Two humans running across the sand.

This wasn't the first time Bucky had seen a human, he had spent many childhood days watching them from afar on their huge steel ships and coastal cities. But long years hearing of the great war and the brutality of the land walkers gave him more than enough reason to pause. 

Gritting his teeth, Bucky shoved himself forward and began to crawl toward the shore. There was no way in all the seven seas he was going to let the humans hurt his friend.

The sea lion was thrashing wildly, only succeeding in tangling himself more in the line, as the humans came within a few feet. Then they stopped. The blond male dropped to his knees in the surf, completely soaking his clothing, and held out his hands with the palms up. 

“It’s ok, it’s ok,” he chanted, deep voice just carrying over the sounds of the sea to the merman.

As if he were the one being calmed, Bucky found himself stilling, head tilting as he watched the blond human inch closer and carefully cut away the fishing line with a small knifed handed to him by his dark skinned companion.

Free at last, the sea lion gave the humans a slow blink, then snatched up Bucky’s dagger and quickly bounced into deeper water.

“Did that sea lion have a knife?” the blond asked, sitting back, braced on his hands and wiggling his toes in the surf.

“What would a sea lion do with a knife?” his companion asked, offering a hand and pulling the wet human to his feet.

“I don't know Sam, that's why I asked,” the blond grumbled, shoving the human called Sam as he straightened.

Bucky let himself slide off of the rocks and back into the water, greeted by a damp nose at his side and the return of his dagger. Looping his arms around his sea lion friend, the merman lowered down so just his eyes and ears remained above the water and watched the humans continue their interrupted walk with growing curiosity.

“As I was saying,” Sam continued, his voice just carrying across the waves as he and the blond turned and headed back down the beach.

“As tempting as the offer to punch some neo-Nazis is, I’m not taking the shield back,” his companion interrupted, trying and failing to wring the salt water out of his shirt. “The world needs a new captain, you earned that title fair and square, and I need to move on.”

Captain?

Bucky swam a little closer, keeping as low as he could in the water.

Sam snorted and shook his head. “And how is moving on going?”

The blond half turned and put his hands on his hips, the clinginess of his wet shirt showing off every inch of the tightly packed muscle and gentle taper of his lower body. “Just because I haven't figured retirement out Yet, doesn't mean I wont get there Eventually.”

Bucky’s gills flared as he sucked in a breath. This gentle, kind human was having trouble figuring out retirement, too?

The sea lion in his arms gave a bark as the merman unconsciously squeezed a little too tight.

Ducking his head beneath the waves as the humans turned toward the noise, Bucky let the sea lion go. “Go on,” he muttered, gently pushing the creature. “Go home.” 

The sea lion went, reluctantly, and Bucky waited until it had disappeared before flicking his powerful tail to swim across to the other side of the cove. A small dock built on the rocky shore beneath a tall lighthouse offered the merman sufficient cover to where he could clearly hear the two humans who had just reached it.

“I'll be fine,” the blond was saying, standing on the top of the first flight of stairs that lead up to the lighthouse, looking down at his friend who was still standing on the sand as he hefted a bulky object onto his back. “But feel free to check and make sure.”

Sam laughed as he pulled at the straps of the thing on his back. Apparently satisfied, he stopped fiddling and looked up at his friend, opening his mouth as if to say something then closing it and shaking his head. He turned away as the thing on his back opened out into a pair of metal wings. Turning his head back, Sam grinned. “Oh, and Steve,” he called over the wiring of machinery. “Keep the light on, would you?”

Steve, the lighthouse keeper, laughed and gave Sam a two fingered salute as he shot up into the sky and flew off.

Sinking slowly below the shallow water under the dock, Bucky pressed his hands to his flushed cheeks. His heart beat in a rapid, uneven pace that matched the swirling in his stomach. Shooting back up and pulling himself up to the level of the dock, Bucky watched Steve walk up the stairs, across the long grass waving in the sea breeze and finally vanish behind the closing lighthouse door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized after I finished chapter one that it didn't actually have the scene that the art inspired, so I had to wait to finished writing chapter two to post..... Oops~
> 
> Chatting with the Void on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KnockoutRambles)  
> 


	2. First Words

Day after day, Bucky found himself back at the surface, trying to catch a glimpse of the human named Steve. Some days the beach was empty and it wasn't until darkness fell that he saw signs of life in the form of a shadow across the lit windows of the light house. Other days, Steve spent nearly all day outside.

Some days Steve would pack a basket of food and lay out on the sand, reading paperback novels. Bucky would squint as hard as he could to make out the titles so he could look them up on the internet link back at the Atlantis International Library. He wanted to know why the little blue one make the blond laugh until he was wheezing and clasping at his sides. Or why he had put the black one aside to burying his face in his arms and sob for nearly an hour. More than anything, Bucky wished Steve would read them aloud, to hear his voice weave the great tales of adventure that humans were so good at writing.

Some days Steve would set up an easel on the end of the dock and spend hours painting. Flowers, faces, and far off places, none of which Bucky had ever seen before, were coaxed to life with careful brush strokes. Sometimes the merman would be daring, pushing himself up near the shore so he could watch over the blond’s shoulder. Others he would drift on his back beneath the dock, close his eyes and listen to the quiet mutterings that would fall unheeded from Steve’s lips when a painting wasn't quite coming out the way he wanted. 

Bucky had nearly smashed his head against the dock one of those days when a paint brush had fallen through the cracks of the dock and landed on his stomach, startling him. Snatching the brush before it tumbled into the abrasive salt water, the merman straightened and turned the thing over in his hands. Bringing the tip close to his nose, he sniffed the paint covering it and then jerked back. Clumsily mimicking the way Steve held his brushes, Bucky had pouted his lips in faux concentration, held up the back of his left hand and swiped the brush across it, giggling as the light purple color spread across his skin.

“Nononono! Oh no where did it go!”

Bucky’s head snapped up to stare at the bottom side of the dock as Steve’s panicked whispers reached his ears. Thinking quickly, he picked a convenient gap between the dock’s boards and carefully slid the brush’s handle up between a wider section and then over until it became jammed.

“Oh, thank God,” Steve had murmured as the brush was pulled up through the crack.

Sinking slowly down into the water, Bucky had let himself imagine the blond’s deep blue eyes crinkling with a smile as he thanked the merman instead of god. Blushing heavily, he had buried his face in his hands and let his head submerge.

The weekends were Bucky’s least favorite. The beach quickly filled with families and children from the small nearby town, giving the merman no way to safely approach the shore to be near Steve. Instead he was stuck on a far out rock cropping, pouting and sighing as he tried to spot the sun glinting off Steve’s golden locks.

Today was even worse. The sun had gone behind the clouds, but the heat of the day kept the beach full so it was completely impossible to spot Steve. The faint rumble of thunder brought Bucky out of his mope and on high alert in an instant. 

Being on the surface during a storm was extremely dangerous for the merfolk, as being tossed about in the crashing waves could cause them to drown or suffocate as they struggle to breathe both air and water. Worse yet, this particular cove was known for its riptides during bad weather, which could drag down even the strongest swimmers in Atlantis.

Diving into the water and swimming to a closer rock, Bucky gnawed on his lip as his eyes flickered form the humans playing in the water, oblivious to the quickly changing clouds. But how do you get humans to leave the ocean? Steve would know.

Steve!

Searching the crowd for the towheaded figure, Bucky let out a breath as he finally spotted him tending a small garden next to the lighthouse with his back to the ocean. Diving back into the water, the merman surfaced suddenly next to a large group of birds, sending them into the air and up the cliff face.

Steve’s head whipped around as the flock crested and few over his head inland. The rake slipped from his fingers as he took off running for the beach.

A giddy little smile and sigh slipped from Bucky’s lips as he watched the quick witted human usher the other humans away from the dangerous shoreline and back inland. Feeling the waves beginning to tug angrily at his tail, the merman let go of the rock and was about to dive down in attempts to avoid the worst of the storm when a scream split the air.

A woman on the shore was shouting and pointing out towards the open water to where a young human was huddled on a rocky outcropping and crying.

Steve was in the water before Bucky could even comprehend the scene. He made it to the rock as the rain began to fall, thunder and lightning starting in earnest as he gathered the boy onto his back and began swimming for the short. They nearly made it.

A sudden savage tug at his tail from the tide, now ripping out to sea, turned Bucky’s cold blood to pure ice. “Steve!” he screamed.

Whether in reaction to the merman’s scream or the feeling of his body being pulled, Bucky didn't know, but Steve doubled his speed, just managing to hand the boy off to the woman standing on a shallow outcropping. The blond’s fingers scraped across the smooth stone as the current hit him and pulled him down, beneath the rippling waters.

Acting out of pure panic, Bucky dove, swimming faster then he ever had before to reach the drowning human. Steve’s eyes were closed and his body limp as the merman’s webbed fingers wrapped around him. Fighting his way to the surface was Steve’s only chance and Bucky’s greatest danger. He didn't hesitate, head breaking the surface and immediately starting to cough as he tried to keep them both afloat and headed towards shore.

It took nearly all of Bucky’s energy, but finally he reached the tide pools, using the last of his strength to push Steve to safety and drag himself up beside. Doing his best to clear his lungs, the merman rolled the blond onto his back and began pumping at his unresponsive form. It only took a few moments until seawater came gushing from Steve’s lips as the blond coughed.

“I got you,” Bucky whispered, gently stroking his fingers across the human’s cheek. “I got you, Stevie, I got you.”

Steve’s eyes rolled weakly as his coughs subsided and slipped shut again.

Carefully moving himself to one side, Bucky lifted the blond’s head and laid it across his lap. Cradling the human he was falling in love with, the merman carded his fingers through Steve’s hair and hummed an old lullaby. 

The storm passed and the sun returned, warming Bucky’s back and he tired to memorize the angles of his love’s face, the scars on his hands, the soft murmur he made in his sleep with each exhale.

“Steve! Steve!”

So wrapped up in the beauty on his lap, the shouts didn't register to Bucky until they were very close. 

The human called Sam and the woman whose child Steve had saved, were running across the beach towards the tide pools, shouting in desperation. With each shout Steve stirred, frowning and pulling himself awake.

Carefully lifting Steve’s head and placing it gently against the rock, Bucky leaned down and pressed his lips to his forehead for just a moment. Pulling away as he saw those beautiful dark blue eyes blink open, he dove into the water.

Swimming to a nearby outcropping, Bucky pulled himself up to peek around the edge and watch the shore.

Sam and the woman were kneeling next to Steve, asking him a thousand questions as the blond stared out toward the open water, frowning as if he couldn't quite remember something very important.

Bucky watched them pull his love to his feet and carefully maneuvered him across the tide pools, onto the sand, and towards town. As Steve vanished from sight, the merman slid down into the water and pressed his hands to his cheeks. Curling his tail up, he gave a soft squeal and shot off towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having way too much fun with shy, flustered, love sick Bucky
> 
> Chatting with the Void on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KnockoutRambles)  
> 


	3. First Ally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man! I used to be so good at rewriting songs but that was a massive pain in the ass! Oh well, its done now.

Bucky's head was in the sea foam the entire swim home. He let out another long happy sigh and twisted his tail to flip him over in his back. Looking up at the far off glittering of sunlight on the surface of the water, the merman giggled and wrapped his arms around himself, squeezing tightly.

Another stroke of his powerful dark blue tail righted him and sent him down to drag a finger tip through the soft white sand of the ocean floor. His fighter’s instincts gave him just enough time to roll out of the way as a silver form streaked past him. 

"He almost got you that time," Wanda purred as she swam in lazy loops over to Bucky, "you’re getting slow, учитель."

Bucky frowned as Pietro came shooting back over, the huge silver fin of the young merman’s tail flashing and glinting even in the low light of the ocean depths. 

"Distracted, not slow," he growled, fingers slowly relaxing off the hilt of his knife.

"What could possibly be distracting you?" Wanda asked as she slowly swam in front of her elder, flicking the tip of her tail just so, causing the different shades of red stripes down it seemed to shift and dance in a hypnotic pattern.

The answer to that question brought Bucky up short. He had been avoiding similar questions every day he wolfed down breakfast and took off towards the surface. Blushing, he started swimming again. "Things."

"Like?" The twins drawled, easily keeping pace.

"Like things!" Bucky snapped, flush darkening as he tried to swim faster.

"Army things?"

"Cooking things!"

"Shedding things."

"Building things?"

"Travel thing."

"Boy things!"

Bucky went positively crimson and lashed his tail.

"Boy things!" the twins shouted, clasping each other’s hands and looking positively wicked.

"Bucky has a boyfriend!" they shrieked, Wanda clinging to Pietro’s back as the young merman gave one swish of his powerful tail and took off towards Atlantis.

"No I don't!" Bucky shouted, giving chase. 

It was a lost cause.

Even carrying Wanda, Pietro could out swim anyone in the seven seas. 

Bucky, with his war battered body, had no chance in catching them and could only hope that he could contain the damage once they stopped swimming.

From the outside, the city of Atlantis looked nothing more than a cliff on the edge of a trench thanks to the ingenuity of the Wakandan tribe of the Indian Ocean and their cloaking technology. Beyond the illusory cliff was the heavily guarded outer wall of blue-green stone lined with huge luminescent gold towers. A few of the guards on top of the wall chuckled to see their old captain chasing and yelling after the trouble making twins. 

Bucky was panting slightly as he passed through the gate, glancing around and just catching sight of the tip of Wanda's fin vanishing down the street towards the labs.

With a sinking feeling, Bucky shot off again, rounding the corner into the lab's court yard shouting "It's not true! Don't believe them!"

Tony Stark floated, arms crossed and scowling while the twins giggled behind him. "Bucky! Savior of our kingdom. Killer of the great Hydra! Friend of my own person! Lying. It's like I don't even know you anymore."

With a shake of his head and a swish of his gold and crimson plated tail, Tony swam over to a slanted rock to dramatically sprawl.

"Whatever they said, it's not true!" Bucky insisted, tail lashing nervously as he tried to keep himself from blushing.

Tony raised his head up to give the old soldier a wry look. "So you're not having crazy hot sex with some hot piece of mer-ass?"

Turning bright red, Bucky spluttered and waffled, waving his hands. "I'm not seeing any mermen!" he insisted.

Narrow his eyes in perfect sync with the twins, Tony rose up and swam over. "But you are seeing someone.”

Bucky's eyes flickered away, blushing harder then ever.

"Oh my Oceans, you're dating a human!?!" Tony howled.

"I'm not dating anyone!" Bucky tried to shout back as merfolk came pouring out of the sprawling lab.

"Bucky is dating?" Shuri asked, smacking her black and gold spotted tail against the front door to slam it behind her.

"Uncle Bucky's got a boyfriend!" Peter and Morgan squealed as they came zooming out an open window. Morgan's blue and gold scales flashing in the street lights while Peter's matte red tail crisscrossed with black stripes twitched excitedly.

"I can't believe he thought he could hide it." Harley tutted after his siblings while the iridescent spots along his back tail winked and glowed. 

"A human?" Wanda hissed, baring her fangs. "I hear they beat their lovers!"

"I hear they dump their mates while carrying their children," Pietro growled, flexing his finger webs.

"I hear they can get you off with just their mouths," Harley said with a lewd grin.

Peter gasped and clapped his hands over his baby sister’s ears while their father shook his head.

"How would..?" Bucky mumbled, face screwed up in confusion and pressing a finger to his sharply pointed teeth. "How would that even work?"

Groaning loudly, Tony clapped Bucky's flushed cheeks between his hands. "Buuuck! You can't date a human, they are the worst!"

Bucky frowned with his cheeks squished together. "You were a human once," he muttered, fingering the top of the metal tail that now encased his friend’s legs.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, and if you recall, I was expunged from the human world with extreme prejudice," he grumbled, tapping at the arc reactor set into his chest that kept his damaged heart beating."Trust me, Buckaroo, life under the sea is where it's at. In fact…"

Snapping his fingers, Tony called up a holo-screen and tapped on it a couple times as calypso music began to play. Letting the screen go, he swam forward and made a beckoning motion that turned into a shimmy as he began to sing." ** _The seaweed is always greener. In somebody else's lake._** "

Buck frowned as Tony's children took hold of him and pulled him into the dance as more merfolk swam up the streets to see what the commotion was and joined in on the impromptu party. "Why are you singing?" he yelled towards his friend who only winked in response.

" ** _You dream about hooking up there. But that is a big mistake!_** "

Bucky shook his head, finally beginning to smile and let himself be pulled into dancing. 

Tony swam over and threw his arm across the soldier's shoulders, pulling him along to the next verse. " ** _Just look at the guys around you. Right here on the ocean floor. Such wonderful boys surround you. What more is you lookin' for?_** " He sang, waving to a long line of Bucky's admirers that had showed up to the party.

"Where did you learn this song?" Bucky asked, politely ignoring the mermen and shooting Tony a look.

Tony shrugged and pushed his friend back into the hands of his children. "Disney channel. ** _Oh! Under the sea, Under the sea. Bucky it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me!_** "

Swimming down to take Bucky's hands, Tony pulled him up so they could see the glitter of the surface as he started the next verse. " ** _Up on the shore they fight all day. Out in the sun they shoot away. While we devotin', Full time to floatin', Under the sea._** " he sang, pulling Bucky back down and giving him an over the top wink as the word floating.

Accepting that Tony was going to be Tony, Bucky let himself be passed around, even letting the trouble making twins twirl him before frowning as he realized just exactly what his friend was singing. "Ah, Tones. No, I don't think that humans are going to try and eat me."

Tony swam over and grabbed the soldier's hand. "It’s a metaphor, darling! **_Since life is sweet here, we got the babes here, Naturally! Even the soldier an' the king, they get the urge 'n' start to sing. They've got the spirit, you got to hear it! Under the sea!_** ”

“The king?” Bucky asked, mouth open in shock.

Rolling his eyes, Tony grabbed his naive friend’s hand and pulled him down into the crowd. “It’s hyperbole! Just go with it!”

Waving a hand towards each merman in turn, as Tony continued his song, “ ** _Ulysses has the looks. Armond got the charm. Boris knows ho’ to dress, He’d look good on ya arm. Just look at Ace's eyes. And Ash makes the cash. Paul writes poetry full of soul, Yeah!_** ”

Bucky was bright red at this point, from being passed from merman to merman, but only shook his head and smiled fondly at Tony who was taking a deep breath before launching into the second half of the ad libbed verse.

Finally pulling away and swimming up above the dancing merfolk, Bucky was rescued by the sympathy of Morgan and Peter, which they had clearly not inherited from their father. Said father swam up as well, twirling in circles with his eldest son, Harley, as he sang the final chorus. “ ** _Yeah, under the sea! Under the sea! When the merman, begin the beguine, It's music to me! What do they got, a lot of sand? We’re in hot mer-babe-ian land!_** ”

Giggling in spite of it all, Bucky floated down to rest against a smooth rock, gazing up as Tony and his children lost themselves in the whirl of music, dance and laughter. “ ** _Each little gay here, know how to sway here, under the sea! Each little fin here, doin’ a spin here, under the sea! Each little tail here, know how to wail here! That's why it's hotter, under the water! Ya we in luck here, down in the muck here, under the seeeeeeea!_** ”

"Ehhhhh?" Tony asked as the song ended, shimmying his hips and wiggling his eyebrows as he floated down to the sea floor.

Bucky sighed and pushed off his rock. "They’re not him," he murmured, looking towards the surface with a dreamy smile.

Pouting slightly, Tony shook his head and waved the love sick soldier off. "Fine, fine, go get the sea witch to magic you up a pair of getaway sticks and meet this human, but don't say I didn't warn you! Poor unfortunate soul."

Pepper swam up out of the crowd, her royal blue scales flashing impressively, and took hold of her husband's pointing finger and lowered it. "Leave him alone, Tony."

Rhodey came up behind his husband, wrapping his arms and steel gray tail about the smaller merman. "You found your happily ever after, now let him find his."

Mouthing a thank you to Tony's husband and wife, Bucky took off swimming towards the palace.

"I just don't want him to have to sacrifice as much as I did to get that ever after," Tony mumbled, looking back up at the surface of the water for a moment before shaking off the memories and returning to the loves of his life, his adopted sons and his baby girl.

-

The absolute only upside to being heralded as a war hero was that Bucky received salutes when he went to see the sea king instead of invasive questions. He had trained many of the guards that lined the halls of the palace and served alongside the others. He waved to a few of his old friends standing outside the throne room who smiled and stood aside.

Huge dark green drapery hung closed over the tall windows that lined the long hall of the throne room. Bucky frowned but swam down the hallway toward the throne that was also wreathed in dark curtains.

A loud crack thundered through the hall as the ground below the two braziers that flanking the throne split open and green lava bubbles up to spew steam through the hall. “Who dares to approach the throne of the sea witch!” a voice called, booming around the room as green light flashed behind the curtains, highlighting a writhing form.

“I told them not to call you that,” Bucky called, folding his arms and frowning. “Knew you'd take it to heart.”

The king of the ocean shoved the curtains aside and pouted. “Oh come on!” Loki whined. “You never play along with me!”

Bucky shook his head, beginning to smile at his incorrigible king.

With his light blue skin turning at his hips to dark green tentacles, deep red eyes and dressed in delicate gold chains, Loki truly looked like the ruler of all the oceans. Now if only he would act like it.

“Oh great and powerful sea witch!” Bucky called, flinging his arms up and prostrating himself against the floor. “I beg of thee to advice this wretchedly common merman.”

Shooting forward, Loki dragged his friend off the floor and wrapped several of his tentacles around his dark blue tail while looping his arms around the merman’s shoulders. “You take the fun out of everything. ‘Common’, honestly! You are a gem, and over half of the guard house would declare war on anyone who said differently!”

Smacking the king’s side gently with the tip of his tail Bucky smiled fondly. “Sorry, but I really did come for advice.”

“I suppose I could spare a few moments for my favorite mer,” Loki said, sighing loudly and releasing the ex-soldier to swim back towards the throne.

Behind the curtains and carved golden throne of the king was the lair of the sea witch. Shimmering vials of strange bits, bobs, and liquids shimmered in the light of the lava steaming beneath a black cauldron in the middle of the black stone cavern.

Crooking his finger, Loki called up wafts of green magic that swirled around several fat little jars and bumbled and trundled down to a flat stone table with two comfortable woven seaweed chairs. “Teadrop?” the king asked, opening one of the jars as it tumbled into his hand. “It's a new batch.”

Smiling and nodding, Bucky accepted an amber sphere from the jar and popped it into his mouth, making sure his lips were sealed before biting down to break the thin membrane and reveling in the taste of sweetened tea spreading across his tongue. 

“Now what did you want to talk about,” Loki murmured, smiling fondly as Bucky pressed his hands to his cheeks with childlike delight at the taste of another teadrop.

Starting to blush again, the ex-soldier accepted a seaberry tartlet before speaking. “Love?”

Cooing, the king clapped his hands and tentacles excitedly. “Ohhh! Bucky’s first crush!”

Stopping short, Loki narrowed his eyes for a moment. “Wait, it's not that blacksmith, is it? ‘Cause I can buy you knives, you don't need to marry into them.”

Snorting loudly at the very thought, Bucky slid forward across the table. “Oceans no! Although it might have been easier if it was.”

“A human,” Loki murmured, crimson eyes clouding over as if he were looking at something far, far away.

“How did you know?” the ex-soldier asked, surprise stamped across his face.

Reaching out to tap one finger under his friend’s chin, the king gave him a sad little smile. “I know that look.”

Pushing away from the table with a swirl of tentacles and the gently clink of golden chains, Loki began to pull and throw bottles off of shelves. Each floated down and into the cauldron, turning the dense liquid different colors and sending up a puff of bubbles with each addition.

Gently pushing Bucky’s head away from the flumes with one tentacle, Loki waved two others towards a large book propped open on a plinth. “Be a dear and see how many crab hearts this calls for, page 69.”

Obedient as ever, the merman swam over a double checked the recipe book. “To bestow toes? Ah, three.”

Loki paused for a moment, then nodded and reached into a jar to pull out several of the small white hearts. “Six then, that's going to clean me out. Where's my Shellphone?”

Picking up the small device from where it had been shoved between the pages of the recipe book, Bucky tossed it through the water to be caught by a tentacle.

Tapping at the phone and bringing it to his ear without looking, Loki set down the last jar and began swirl his arms over the cauldron. “Happy? Be a dear and send someone out to the shop for more crab hearts and cancel all of my meetings for tomorrow. No, no I won’t need an escort, I'll have Bucky with me. Then take the day off! I’m sure the Stark children would love a visit from their favorite uncle. Yes, yes. Alright, thank you, dear.”

Hanging up and throwing the phone over his shoulder, the sea witch cleared his throat and began to chant as the contents of the cauldron swirled higher and higher changing colors and flashing ominously.

Bucky waited politely for his king to stop laughing maniacally as he finished the potion before speaking. “Where will we be going?”

The sea witch looked up from filling two vials with the heavy, viscous liquid. “The surface, of course, you didn't honestly expect me to let you run off into the sunset when you haven't even stood on two feet before, did you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Steve doesn't get any lines next chapter, but Sam does! so that will be fun. But for now I'm off to take a five hour test~
> 
> Chatting with the Void on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KnockoutRambles)  
> 


	4. First Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got super duper sidetracked creating a tragic backstory for Thor and Loki~  
> Hopefully it isn't too confusing, I'm not very good at sprinkling in lore yet.

After agreeing to meet Loki at the city gates an hour before dawn, Bucky left the palace with his small little vial and headed home.

Tucked just outside downtown Atlantis, in a sleepy little neighborhood, was the apartment the merman had been placed in after retiring from the army. He had fallen in love with the place and had been gifted the property a few months after moving in.

Waving politely to a few of his neighbors still on the streets, Bucky quickly slipped in before being pulled into any conversations. As he pushed the front door closed and rested against it, a great sigh bubbled out from his gills and dropped the tension from his shoulder.

With all three floors accessible via the tunnel cut into the coral floors, each filled with soft couches, pillows and blankets, it was heaven for the weary soldier to return to each night.

Setting his precious vial on the dining room table, Bucky swam over to a window bench, snatched up his favorite blanket woven from red algae, and wrapped it around his body. 

Tomorrow he would stand in front of Stevie, be seen by Stevie, speak to Stevie. Squealing in a sudden rush of excitement, Bucky clapped his hands to his cheeks and with a swish of his tail, shot up to the third floor. Hurriedly scrubbing his face and teeth clean, the merman slipped inside his teardrop shaped, coral nesting cave. Burring down into an obscene amount of pillows and blankets, Bucky did his very best to calm his racing heart, quiet his chattering mind, and find sleep to help the last few hours between him and Steve rush past.

Unfortunately, it took hours of tossing and turning before Bucky was able to fall asleep. The small vial of dark liquid sitting down stairs on the table, and the opportunity it promised, weighed heavy on the merman’s mind.

It felt as if he had only just fallen asleep when he was being shaken awake.

“Change of plans,” Loki hissed as he shook his friend awake. “We need to leave for the surface now.”

Not a morning person on the best of circumstances, Bucky gave the sea king a bleary eyed glare and growled. “Why?”

“Happy blabbed to Rhodey who, of course, blew the whole thing out of proportion and is trying to forbid me from going to the surface,” Loki grumbled, tugging the merman vertical and pushing him downstairs.

Bucky tried to grumble but one look at the vial on the table and he was wide awake and pulling Loki out the door.

Taking back alleys and secret passageways, the pair managed to make it to the city walls without running into any patrols. Finally rounding the next to last bend, they carefully swam close to the seafloor to peer around the corner.

“Yeah, that's about right.” Bucky muttered as he saw Rhodey and a platoon of soldiers blocking the city’s main gate. “We could try one of the side gates- Loki?”

The sea king was fuming at the sight of the blocked gate and shoved away from the building to swim regally up to his soldiers. “Let us pass this instant!” he growled as Bucky cautiously swam up to hover behind him.

Rhodey swam forward, his face carefully schooled into a stern expression, but Bucky could see a glimmer of fear in his eyes at their king’s anger. “Your majesty, it is far too dangerous for you to journey to the surface. The humans-”

Reaching out with one hand, eyes glowing, the sea witch pressed his fingers together. Rhodey’s mouth snapped shut, cutting him off.

“It took two to start a war,” Loki growled, his voice thick and eyes bright. “And I will not go through that again! You will let me go.”

Rhodey shivered, shoulders falling as his sternness faded to worry under the glare of his king, god, and creator.

Swimming forward, Loki cupped the commander’s chin and gave him a sad smile. “I love you all, my darling, overprotective children, but you have to learn to let me go.”

Slowly the soldiers parted, and with a crook of his finger, Loki lead Bucky out of Atlantis and into open water. They swam in silence until the lights of the city faded from sight.

“What if Rhodey is right about humans?” Bucky murmured, not really wanting an answer. “What if Steve hates my tail? What if I start another war by invading the surface? What if-”

“Oh my Oceans!” Loki all but howled, clawing at his hair and slapping a tentacle over Bucky’s mouth. “If you say ‘what if’ one more time we are going home! I did not fight my way past Rhodey to listen to you ‘what if’ing all the way to the surface!”

Letting out a long sigh at the sad eyes the merman was giving him, the sea witch massaged at his temples. “Life isn't worth living if you don't take risks for love, trust me.”

“Besides,” Loki added, with a half smile. “Humans are pretty damn dense.”

Feeling guilty that he had caused that look to come across his friend’s face, Bucky thought quickly. 

A moment later, Loki wrenched away from him howling, writhing, and trying hard to suppress a smile. “You licked me!” the sea witch whined, sorting through his tentacles to find the assaulted appendage.

“We’re going to miss sunrise if you don't hurry up,” Bucky said primly and started swimming for the surface again.

“No, no dear, not that way,” Loki called, dropping his tentacles and interrupting the merman from auto piloting straight to the beach. “Sea caves are this way.”

The sea caves just past the tide pools of Steve’s cove were half submerged at most tide levels and awarded the merfolk several shelves on which to sit comfortably while still safe in the water. As both merfolk floated just below the surface of the water, safe from prying eyes inside the caves, Loki pulled the two flasks out and handed one to Bucky.

“From sunup to sunset, this will turn your tail into legs, or until you get back into the salt water, so no ocean swimming,” Loki said, tugging the stopper from his vial.

Bucky pulled his cork out as well and eyed the dense, black liquid with in. Taking one last breath through his gills to steady his nerves, he held the vial up. “To love?”

Smiling fondly, Loki returned the toast. “To love.”

With the consistency of pudding, the taste of old blood, and the temperature of pure ice, it was a wonder Bucky didn't spit the potion right back out. Grimacing, he swallowed and shuddered. “Now what?”

The cold spread out from Bucky’s mouth, down to settle on his gills, and then rushing even further to gather around his tail. Loki dragged him to the surface as a mass of bubbles escaped from Bucky’s mouth.

“I probably should have warned you,” Loki said as his friend coughed, head now above the water.

When he could breathe again, Bucky looked over at his king and felt his mouth fall open.

Loki still looked like Loki, that crafty smile and long black hair, but his skin was now peach colored and eyes a dark green. Instead of a mass of tentacles, the sea king was waggling two slim legs. Standing on his new legs, Loki stepped up to a higher ledge that was out of the water and snapped his fingers. Green wafts of magic swirled around him, covering his new form in a flowing cream button up that hung off his shoulders, jean shorts that really only covered the tops of his thighs, a huge floppy sun hat and a pair of over-sized sunglasses.

“How do I look?” the sea witch asked, voguing for his audience of one.

“Not yourself,” Bucky muttered, eyes wide.

A sad little smile settled across Loki’s lips. “Yes, well, myself is a little too ostentatious for the human world.” 

The retired soldier was still frowning but accepted his friend’s hand and pulled himself up onto his own legs. Bucky promptly collapsed back into the water, landing on his ass.

Loki tried hard not to giggle when his friend resurfaced and gave his new feet an affronted look. “And now you know why I came along, up you come, Big Boy.”

Green swirls of magic lifted Bucky out of the water and onto his feet on a dry ledge and remained with him as he tried to figure out his balance. His new legs were thicker than Loki’s, especially around the thighs, and had a light dusting of dark hair down them. 

“Speaking of disguises,” Loki murmured, eyes flickering up and down his friend’s new body. “Your scars.”

Sure enough, the mass of scar tissue on Bucky’s arm had remained and now the scars that had striped his tail were crisscrossing his new legs.

“I’ll leave them if you want,” Loki murmured, raising Bucky’s chin with one finger. “But they might cause question you won’t want to answer.”

Slowly opening and closing his hand, Bucky shook his head. “I’m already hiding what I truly am, I don't want to hide anything else.”

A proud kind of smile spread across the king’s face as he nodded.

“But maybe start with some long sleeves?” the merman added hesitantly.

With another snap of the Loki’s fingers, Bucky was clothed in tight jeans and a thin Henley with sleeves that dangled past his fingertips.

Nodding with a sudden rush of excitement and confidence, the merman turned toward the cave mouth and took a step. Pitching forward, Bucky would have landed on his face if Loki’s magic hadn't caught him.

“Slow down, Soldier, it isn't going to be that easy,” Loki chuckled.

Carefully, they made their way out of the slippery sea cave and out onto the course sand slowly being warmed by the rising sun.

With a grunt, Bucky fell to his knees again and sighed, hanging his head. “It's like trying to learn how to swim again,” he muttered, running his hand across the scars beneath his jeans and recalling the long days he spent trying to recover from the battle that nearly cost him his life.

“Well,” Loki murmured, sitting down as well, “how did you learn how to swim again?”

Bucky smiled, letting out a soft snort. “I took Tony’s advice and ran before I could walk. Had no idea what the hell he was talking about at the time.”

Tilting his head slightly and staring at the lighthouse far across the cove, Bucky slowly leaned forward, digging his feet into the shifting sands and pushing back up. Gritting his teeth, the merman took a step, then another and another. Each step fell faster and faster and Bucky pushed himself forward until he was running. The salt breeze twisting in his hair and his breath coming in great puffs, the merman ran.

Giving a great whoop, Bucky turned, sending up a spray of sand, then tripped and fell. Tucking into a roll he landed on his feet and leaped into the air before flinging his arms up and falling onto his back in the sand.

Loki smiled from where he sat, watching his young friend try and do a cartwheel. “Look at him,” he whispered to the wind, turning his bright green eyes to the cloudless sky. “I haven't asked you for anything in all these years. Please, don't let him get hurt.”

-

By the time the pair made it off the beach and to the small village a short walk from Steve’s lighthouse, it was lunch time. Loki had then insisted that they find a place to eat and as he feared, Bucky was absolutely hopeless when it came to human table manners. He shook his head as the brunette continued to drink his bisque straight from the bowl. "A utensil, please. I'm begging you."

Bucky blinked over the edge of the bowl before setting it down and licking cream off his upper lip. Carefully picking up a fork, the brunette began twirling it between his fingers as he would one of his precious knives.

"You know damn well that's not what that's for," Loki grumbled, pinching the brim of his nose.

Giving the fork one last twirl and with a huge smile, Bucky turned its tines to rake through his hair, working through the windblown snarls.

“Why are you like this?” the sea witch asked with a long suffering sigh.

A soft chuckle drew Bucky’s eyes away as he continued to work his way through the tangles in his hair, and oh sweet sea foam, it was Steve. 

The blond was looking straight at him from the table behind theirs as he continued to laugh. Sam was sitting across from him, not paying attention as he ordered.

Mortified, Bucky dropped the fork and quickly looked away, letting his hair curtain across his cheek before sneaking another peek. 

Steve’s smile had fallen slightly, but as the merman’s eyes caught his, he quickly raised one hand to run through his hair before bringing up the other up to use a fork to comb through his short blond hair.

A snort burst out of Bucky and he giggled into his hand as his crush’s face lit up again.

_“BUCKY”_ Loki shouted into his friend’s head, one of the sea witch’s far more obnoxious talents.

Jerking in shock, Bucky glared at his friend _“You know I hate your telepathy!”_

Loki responded with an unimpressed blink.

_“Fine, I’m sorry I ignored you, but Steve is at the table behind us!”_ Bucky thought, trying to subtlety motion towards the blond who was sneaking his own glances over at them.

Eyebrows raising, Loki pointed over his shoulder.

Bucky nodded. _“Just don't be obvious!”_

Whirling around, the sea witch raked his eyes up and down Steve. “Ooohhh yeah, Buck, always knew you had good taste,” he purred in a none-too-subtle stage whisper.

“Loki!” Bucky whined, burying his flaming cheeks into his hands and missing the eye-roll Steve was giving the room.

“Look at those pecs! That smile! Better be careful, Baby, those blue eyes say ‘heart breaker’ to me,” the shameless king continued, earning a snorting laugh from Sam and a mortified moan from Bucky.

Angling himself slightly to get a better look, Loki grinned. “And definitely packing.”

Bucky raised his head from his hands, frowning in confusion. “What is he packing?”

Turning himself back, Loki stared at his friend. “Tell me you're joking.”

Blinking several times, the merman looked over at Steve curiously and then back to Loki. “Is it a knife?”

Sam burst out laughing as Loki took a turn burying his face in his hands.

Turning around to face their table, Sam took pity on Bucky and explained. “It's his penis.”

Mouth falling open in horror, Bucky turned an even brighter shade of red and stared at Loki. “Why would you say that!?”

“You were in the army! How do you not know that!?” Loki shouted back, shoving himself to his feet and sashaying over to Steve and Sam’s table. “My apologies, gentlemen, for my companion’s painful level of obliviousness. I’m going to give him a proper education.”

Pausing for a moment to slide a perfectly manicured nail down the side of Steve’s face, Loki smiled. “You feel free to find him at the boardwalk after school lets out.”

Letting his eyes slide over to the merman, the blond smiled. “Looking forward to it.”

The pair watched as Loki shooed a spluttering Bucky out of the restaurant and Sam shook his head. “You sure about that? I mean, I know you're bi, but is dating some random guy the best idea for an Ex-Captain America?”

Steve shrugged, looking out the windows now to watch the long haired brunette until he was out of sight. “He’s cute. Besides, weren't you just telling me to stop obsessing over mermen and find someone real to fall in love with?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to tip your Waiter, they've had a long day dealing with waiting on two Captain Americas today, one of which was using his god damn fork like a comb. There's no way in hell Steve is getting a new fork after that.


	5. First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy this aromantic's attempt at writing -shudders- dates.

Bucky sat with a bright pink magazine clasped between his fingers and stared at his king and god of the oceans as he waved his arms about. 

Loki paused to take a breath, “And if he asks you to lick his battery, he is not referring to electronics, got it?”

Bucky blinked.

Loki’s eyes flickered up to something over Bucky’s shoulder and smiled. “Great! Just don’t forget, no sex without safe sex and don’t be afraid to break his fingers.” Putting his sunglasses back on, the sea king blew a kiss at the merman and sashayed off down the boardwalk. 

Slowly looking down at the Cosmopolitan he had been handed and then slowly back up at his retreating friend, Bucky’s face was screwed up in confusion.

“Learn anything?” Steve asked, leaning one hand on the back of the bench Bucky was sitting on.

“I have never been less informed about anything in my entire life,” the merman said, still staring after the sea king. Bucky relished the chuckled and soft smile that lit up the blonde’s features before sobering and looking away. “I want to apologize for what Loki said.”

Steve shrugged and moved around the bench to sit next to the brunette. “It’s ok, I’m used to it. He was actually pretty tame, I’ve heard a lot worse.”

The merman shook his head, glaring at the ground. “That's no excuse, dehumanizing someone like that. Turning you into just a slab of meat to pound.”

“Sounds like you've had first hand experience,” the blond murmured, sobering.

Crumpling the Cosmo into a ball and taking careful aim, Bucky made a perfect shot into a trashcan. “That's what happens when you get named a war hero. Came up here to try and find someone that liked me for me.”

“And you picked me?” Steve murmured, an almost incredulous smile spreading across his face.

Blushing, the merman tried to hold his head high. “I haven't picked anyone! How can I pick someone without getting to know them first.”

The blond’s smile grew wider and he pushed off the bench, holding out a hand to Bucky. “Care to walk around the farmers market and get to know me?”

Blushing even harder, Bucky shrunk back. “You don't have to do that.”

“I know,” Steve said, tugging the brunette to his feet. “Steve.”

Letting go of the blond’s hand, the merman tucked a stay strand of hair behind his ear. “Bucky.”

Steve grinned and started walking toward the stalls set up along the boardwalk. “Be honest with me, Bucky. Did someone actually say they wanted to pound your meat?”

“I don't think they meant for me to hear it,” Bucky murmured, falling into step alongside his crush.

“You know, I take it back. That, that is the worst thing I've heard. Pound your meat? You don't pound meat! You light candles, figure out their favorite flower, cook a meal for two, dance in the moonlight!" Steve ranted, pausing as he caught sight of the dreamy smile the brunette was giving him. “And then you pound their meat."

Bursting out laughing, Bucky shoved his shoulder into Steve’s side playfully. 

Catching the brunette, Steve looped his arm around his shoulders and kept Bucky close as he lead him into the market and from stall to stall. They lingered for a while in front of a painter’s booth as Steve explained cubism and gushed over a new shade of pink to a completely enthralled Bucky. It was finally Steve’s turn to blush as both the booth artist and the merman tried to convince him the paintings he had on his phone were more than good enough to be shown and sold. 

Bucky was finally distracted from his gushing praise of the blond’s paintings by the wide array of fruits being displayed by a produce booth. He insisted on trying each and every fruit before picking his favorite, of which Steve promptly bought a flat, claiming that blueberries were his favorite, too.

Bucky was two thirds through the flat and near the end of the market when he spotted them. An entire table covered in curved blades. Shoving his fruit into Steve’s arms, the merman rushed to the table and ghosted his fingers over the sharpened steel. Some were iridescent, some with carved bone and wood handles, and others still that camouflaged themselves into innocent looking objects when the blade folded into the handle.

“Oh man, I haven't seen one of these in years!” Steve chuckled, picking a knife whose handle was split in two. After giving the handles an experimental couple of swings, the blond flicked it expertly.

Bucky was mesmerized as the blade flashed and danced in Steve’s fingers, opening and closing with a rhythmic clacking. “What is it?” he breathed, reaching out a scarred hand.

Snapping the blade shut and holding it out, the blond smiled. “A butterfly knife, I had one back in the day. Takes a lot of practice to keep from cutting the hell out of yourself.”

Steve paused and turned back to the table. “Although, I think they have dull practice blades-” finding the knife he was looking for, the blond turned back to see Bucky already mastering the basic open and close.

“I love it!” Bucky giggled, beginning to pass the knife back and forth between his hands.

Steve watched as the brunette twirled the blade faster and faster. “What kind of war were you in again?”

“SEALs infiltration and rescue,” Loki interrupted, walking up arm in arm with Sam. “Born and raised on a navy base, practically breaths water.”

Bucky frowned at his king’s terrible joke and flicked the knife closed.

Ignoring the disapproving merman, Loki leaned in close to mutter, “Remember not to marry a guy because he can buy you knives. I can buy you knives, will fill a palace full of knives.”

Blushing and sputtered, Bucky quickly put the knife down and shook his head. “No, no no, he's not buying it for me!”

“I'm buying it for you,” Steve said.

“I’ve already spent too much of your money, I can't accept this,” the merman hissed at the stubborn blond. “And I spend too much time in the ocean, it would rust away into nothing within a week!”

“Got any in stainless steel?” Steve asked the stall keeper, smiling triumphantly. 

The merman continued to splutter and wave his hands about until Loki wrapped his pale arms around his friend’s shoulders. “I leave you alone for five minutes and you gain a sugar daddy,” Loki muttered as he hung off Bucky.

“Nah,” Sam said, unlooping Loki’s arms. “That's just what Steve does. Side effect of growing up poor and accidentally becoming rich, always buying shit for people.”

Letting himself relax into Sam’s arms, Loki grinned. “If my heart and soul were not promised to another, you and I could have such fun, Samuel.”

“Loki!” Bucky hissed, horrified. 

“I am finally having fun, Buck. Do not ruin it,” Loki bemoaned, pushing himself away from Sam. “And let the man buy you a knife,” he called over his shoulder as he walked off. 

Sam gave both of them a thumbs up before following the sea god.

The merman continued to frown after his king until he felt something cool being pressed into his hand. 

“Humor me,” Steve murmured as he closed Bucky’s fingers around the object.

Opening his hand, Bucky couldn't help but smile at the stainless steel butterfly knife decorated with a mermaid’s tail. Slipping the gift into his pocket, he took Steve’s proffered hand before stealing a few more berries from the box the blond was still carrying.

They walked out of the tunnel of stalls and down onto the sandy beach of the man made bay on the edge of town.

Bucky found himself only half listening as he watched Loki lounging against a volleyball net pole. Several hulking, overly tan humans had begun to congregate around the king who was waiting for Sam to return with ice cream. 

“Hey, you ok?” Steve murmured, gently squeezing Bucky’s right hand.

“Yeah,” the merman muttered, “Sorry. I just, I used to be Loki’s bodyguard. It's hard to get out of the mind set.”

“Sam’s got him,” the blond murmured, beginning to rub soothing circles with his thumb as his friend indeed walked up and easily scattered the gathering. Steve waiting until the tension in Bucky’s shoulders had fallen before he asked. “War hero and ex-bodyguard, what do you do now?”

“Loki takes care of me,” Bucky admitted guilty. “I haven't figured out what I’m supposed to be doing yet.”

Steve nodded, looking out to sea. “I retired a year ago, but couldn't let the work go until I moved out here. Working at the lighthouse really helped, gave me a purpose again. Even if no one uses it anymore.”

“I can barely get out of bed some mornings,” the merman muttered, pulling his hand away to massage at the ghost pains the sparked up in his shoulder at the thought. “What purpose could I possibly find.”

Steve stepped forward, placing himself between Bucky and the ocean so his dark blue eyes could bore into the merman’s pale blue. “You’ll find it. I believe in you.”

For a moment Bucky lost himself in those eyes, soft but unwavering. The line of the human’s jaw set in determination. The way the setting sun turned his blond hair to pure fire.

“Bucky!” Loki shouted, running up to grab the merman’s arm. “Stop having eye sex and move, we are going to be late!”

“Late? Oh crap!” Bucky gasped, finally realizing what the colors filling the sky meant. “‘I'm so sorry, we have to go.” 

He stumbled sideways towards the ocean then stopped and turned back. Sliding his fingers into Steve’s soft hair, Bucky pulled him down to press a kiss to the blond’s cheek. “Thank you for today,” he murmured, Steve’s breath warming his face. “I’ll see you soon?”

The human licked his lips and nodded, smiling and eager.

Bucky let go of Steve and chased after Loki towards the marina, waving goodbye. “Bye Stevie!”

“What did you call me?” Steve mumbled, staring after the brunette.

Out of sight in line after line of moored boats, the merman let out a squeal and pressed his hands to his cheeks.

“You are so adorable,” Loki purred as he wove his magic around an empty spot. An illusory boat containing the both of them shimmered into life. Clapping his hands as the magic tethered itself to the dock for future use, he dove into the water, surfacing next to the boat. 

“I love him,” Bucky said helplessly, sliding his hand into his pocket and pulling out the butterfly knife. Jumping into the waves, the merman felt the magic around his legs swirl and fade diving forward as the spell broke with the first rays of the setting sun touching the water at the horizon.

With a flick of his tail and a swish of Loki’s tentacles, they were both safe out in the open ocean while the magic boat sailed out to disappear a safe distance away from human eyes.

“I approve,” Loki purred, sliding one glowing finger down the handle of the knife and changing the tail pattern to exactly match Bucky’s scarred tail.

For a while they swam home just below the surface, silent and alone with their thoughts. They watched as dark clouds began to build and swirl above the waves.

Loki reached up as the lightning began to flash through the clouds and down into the ocean waters. 

“Loki?” Bucky called, turning himself over as their time to dive grew close.

“Promise me you will be careful up there,” Loki murmured, as a lightning bolt hit the water inches from the hand he held above the waves. “With both your body and heart.”

The merman eyed the dark clouds but nodded. “I promise.”

Sliding down, Loki took Bucky’s hand with the one he had kept above the waves and lead him back down into the dark depths of the ocean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chatting with the Void on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KnockoutRambles)  
> 


	6. First Kiss

Steve’s day started like any other, wide awake at 5 am sharp. But ever since meeting Bucky, each morning was sweetened by the selfie of the two of them on the background of his phone. The blond lingered just a bit longer, smiling at photo, before finally getting up and starting his day.

A super soldier sized breakfast was followed by chores and by the time Steve had ensured that the lighthouse was in tip top working order, the sun had begun to rise. It was a gray kind of day, the fog in the bay turning gold and tempting the retired captain out of doors. Taking a deep breath of the moist air, he slowly stretched out any lingering stiffness and walked to the top of the stairs and down to the beach.

He couldn't help but laugh at the sight that greeted him. Spelled out in conch shells across the damp sand was ‘Will you go out with me? B,’ a figure with long dark hair laid out to make the back line of the ‘B.’ 

-

Bucky wiggled his toes at Steve as the blond made his way across the sand towards him. “I ran out of shells,” he explained with a sleepy kind of smile.

Steve chuckled and shook his head. “How early did you have to get up to do all this?”

The merman answered with a yawn. Although the high tide before sunrise had allowed Bucky to swim through most of the placement, he had accidentally stumbled across the ‘out’ while trying to remember how to walk and had to redo it. The effort and early morning was more than worth the faint pink in Steve’s cheeks and his soft smile, however.

“Well, consider me wooed,” the blond murmured, as Bucky stretched, revealing a tanned strip of skin as his Henley and thin hoodie pulled up.

Steve waited for the brunette to slip his shoes back on and knock off the sand sticking to his hoodie before holding out a hand and pulling him to his feet. “I'd love to go out, did you have something in mind?”

Bucky winced and hunched his shoulders. “Well I did, until Loki got wrapped up in something and sent the twins in his stead.”

As if on cue, Wanda and Pietro stuck their heads out from behind a huge washed-up tree trunk and began catcalling the pair in Russian.

“Anyone, anyone else would have been better,” Bucky muttered, a pained smile on his lips as he stared off into the distance. 

Steve gave the pair a bemused shake of his head then grinned and seized Bucky’s hand. “I've got an idea,” he murmured then turned and ran back towards the lighthouse with Bucky in tow. 

It took all of Bucky’s training to keep himself from face planting as he was pulled up the stairs and to the small garage connected to the beach’s parking lot, a little ways away from the lighthouse.

Letting go of the merman’s hand, Steve flung open the doors, revealing his Harley. Snatching up one of his leather jackets and the spare helmet, the blond carefully dressed his date before grabbing his own gear and flinging a leg over the motorcycle.

Bucky followed suit and had just wrapped his arms around his date when the twins stumbled up the last few stairs. Bucky’s squeal of shock was lost as Steve revved the engine and pulled out onto the road. The merman swallowed a lump of nerves as they turned away from the road into town and out onto the highway. “I have to be back by sunset!” he yelled into Steve’s ear as they accelerated.

The blond nodded, giving Bucky’s hands a reassuring squeeze with his left hand before turning off the highway onto a steeply slanting road flanked by thick trees.

Bucky let himself enjoy the ride, the wind tugging at his layers but not getting through the thick leather. He quickly got the hang of letting his body tilt with the bike around each curve of the road and snuggled closer to Steve’s back. 

On and on they rode, climbing higher and higher into the mountains. The trees grew larger and the sunlight more muted as they passed from the lower lying pine forest into the old growth redwoods. Bucky squeezed Steve as he caught a glimpse of two elegant animals, one with what looked like branches of coral growing out of its head, watching them from a patch of sunlight deep in the forest. 

The merman gasped as a puffy white blob zipped past them, then laughed as more and more kept coming. Flinging out an arm, he shivered at the cold damp of the low lying cloud. All out laughing now and holding on with his thighs, Bucky held both arms wide as they rode through the clouds. “I'm flying, Stevie! I have wings!”

Steve glanced over his shoulder, grinning at the brunette enthralled in his dream. He was almost sad to slow down as they turned into the parking lot that came into view, although he did enjoy when Bucky’s arms wrapped around him again. Parking in the empty lot and turning off the engine, Steve pulled off his helmet. “Not the best weather, but at least there isn't a crowd.”

Leaping off the bike even as Steve was speaking, Bucky ran in circles around the parking lot through the clouds clinging to the ground with his arms outspread and laughing. “I’m flying,” he whispered, suddenly dizzy and falling sideways into Steve’s arms.

“At 5000 feet, you bet you're flying. Just don't fly too far away, you might fall,” Steve murmured, holding the brunette up and carefully removing the bike helmet.

“You better hold on to me just in case,” Bucky whispered shyly, holding his scarred left hand out, palm up.

Impossibly, the blond’s smile grew larger than ever with even a faint blush coming to his cheeks. “I can do that,” he whispered back, taking the proffered hand and letting Bucky stand on his own.

Their walk started with Steve leading the way towards the hiking trail’s main attraction but quickly found himself the follower as Bucky dragged him towards anything and everything that caught his eye.

“I guess SEALs don't spend much time in the mountains?” Steve whispered from where Bucky had shoved them behind a tree so he could stare open mouthed at a stoat on top of the stump.

“Not really,” the merman whispered back, trying to sound nonchalant. “I’ve spent nearly all of my life in and around the ocean.”

As the stoat disappeared down the side of the trunk, Bucky turned his head towards Steve. “I guess retirement is as good a reason as any to finally explore.”

“Then let's explore,” the blond murmured, taking the lead again and pulling Bucky down a less used trail. “I found this spot when it was spring, but it’s still beautiful this time of year.” 

Rounding a sheer cliff side, the pair found themselves at the opening of a small enclosed valley. Damp knee high grass filled the valley with an enormous weeping cherry tree at the very center, its leaves turned to a kaleidoscope of crimson, orange and gold. 

Awestruck, Bucky couldn't do anything but let himself be lead forward to the edge of the boughs. Giggling he leapt forward to hide himself behind the colorful leaves, dodging this way and that to catch a glimpse of Steve.

The blond laugh, reaching out to gather a few of the wispy boughs together and wind them around Bucky’s head like a crown. Then he frowned as he got a good look at the hidden interior of the tree.

A waterproof blanket had been spread out, places set and electric candles lighting up the area as wafts of steam rose up out of an open picnic basket. A small note with Steve’s name on it was propped up on one of the over turned bowls.

The blond stepped around Bucky and sighed loudly before reading the note aloud. “Digits or it didn't happen. PS If you don't want us to follow you on your date, turn your phone’s GPS off. Love Sam and Nat.”

“I like your friends,” Bucky said, picking up a soft blanket from in front of his place setting and wrapping it around his shoulders. “They at least bring lunch when they stalk people.”

“They’re a little paranoid,” Steve grumbled, crumpling the note and sitting down. He paused, glancing nervously at the brunette before continuing. “They want to do a background check on you, but I didn't get a phone number or a last name.”

Improbably, Bucky giggled and began digging around in the basket. “You're lucky Rhodey has been too busy to follow me or you'd be tied to a chair and truth serum-ed by now. Give me your phone.” 

“Names are a bit complicated for me,” the merman admitted, taking Steve’s proffered phone and keying in his number as a new contact. “But a number I can do.”

“Complicated?” Steve murmured, picking up his own soft blanket and scooting over to sit next to Bucky with their backs against the tree’s trunk.

Handing his phone back and accepting a piece of warm sourdough, Bucky’s smile wavered. “It's kind of a fourth date type of conversation.”

“Then forget I asked,” the blond said matter-of-factly and began pouring from a thermos of clam chowder. “You think we’ll get to a fourth date?”

Dropping his bread into the proffered bowl of soup, Bucky smiled, blushing again. “I wouldn't mind if there was.”

The conversation flowed easily through their lunch, soup giving way to cupcakes and tea. It was nearly four in the afternoon by the time either of them had realized it.

Bucky had thrown his legs over Steve’s lap at some point and the blond’s arm had slipped under the merman’s jacket and curled protectively around him. 

“Sunset is at 6,” the blond murmured against Bucky’s temple. “Gotta get you back.”

With a tired groan, the merman stood, flinching as he stretched and rolled his left shoulder. 

Steve was on his feet in an instant, arms instinctively encircling Bucky. “You ok?”

“Yeah, old injury. Ah, should we clean up?” Bucky asked, trying to divert the conversation from his arm.

The blond wasn't buying it and made a face at the dishes. “I’ll make sure Sam and Nat clean up the mess they made. Are you sure you're ok?”

Bucky shrugged and pulled Steve out of the valley and back into the woods. “I will be until I’m not.”

The clouds had cleared during their time under the weeping cherry and now shafts of sunlight shone down through the leaves and gaps in needles. Birds chirped and flitted from branch to branch as squirrels chittered at the pair from their perches.

“Mountains are my favorite,” Bucky murmured into the sounds of the forest.

Steve hummed, squeezing the brunette's hand but saying nothing as they made their way back to the parking lot. “You might not want to pick yet, there's a lot of places left for you to see.”

“Nope!” the merman said cheerfully. “They’re my favorite because you showed them to me, I can't say that about any of the rest of the places.”

The blond froze a few steps away from his bike and stared at Bucky as he turned to lean against it.

“You know,” Steve murmured, voice shaking ever so lightly. “I’ve traveled to every corner of the Earth and never got to enjoy any of it. Always a fight to win.” The blond paused and stepped forward to take Bucky’s left hand again, running his thumb down the scars that crisscrossed it. “Might be kinda nice to go back. Even nicer to go with someone special.”

The merman tilted his head slightly as he watched Steve struggle with his words.

“Like a boyfriend,” Steve finally forced out, glancing up.

A smile bloomed across Bucky’s face, lighting up his sky blue eyes. “That does sound nice, you got someone in mind for that?”

Steve smiled and shook his head. “You're going to make me say it ain't you?”

Reaching up to take hold of the blushing blond’s jacket, the merman spread his legs to pull Steve close. “Come on, I promise I’ll say yes.”

Grinning as he was reeled in, Steve reached up to hold the sides of Bucky’s face and slide his fingers into his long hair. “Will you be by boyfriend?”

Scrunching up his forehead and letting out a thoughtful hum, the merman stroked his chin.

“Oh my gosh!” Steve laughed, “You are horrible.”

“Yes, I am. And yes, I will,” the brunette finally murmured, his mock cruelty melting into a lovesick smile.

Leaning forward with a similar lovesick smile plastered across his face, Steve let out the breath he had been holding. “I really want to kiss you now.”

Bucky didn't know if he would survive if his heart swelled anymore, so he tugged Steve down into a kiss. Surrounded by his love, the merman felt warmed all the way through for one of the few times in his life. He let the kiss deepen, parting his lips with a soft moan as he felt the sparks in his chest zing up and down his spine.

Steve pulled back a moment later, just an inch away. They stayed there, in each other’s arms and breathing the same air.

“Gotta get you back,” the blond murmured against Bucky’s lips but didn't move for another long moment.

The merman sighed, silently wishing he could stay, and pushed away from the motorcycle so that Steve could get on first. He settled in behind his boyfriend, cuddling as close as he could and smiling against Steve’s shoulder whenever he felt the blond’s hand press against his own.

The sun was halfway to the sea when they pulled up on the edge of town. As the rumble of the motor fell silent, neither moved for a long moment. Eventually they both stood, Steve leaning against his bike this time as they held each other close.

“I’ll text you,” Steve murmured, as Bucky finally pulled away and handed him back his leather jacket. 

“You better, I plan on being a very needy boyfriend,” the merman said with a grin, tapping a finger to the tip of the blond’s nose.

Grinning at hearing the word he finally got to use, Steve pushed away from the bike and dropped the jacket on it. “And saying ‘boyfriend’ at every possible opportunity?”

“There were many people who said this day would never come and I plan on rubbing it in all of their faces,” Bucky muttered, a hint of mischief coloring him smile.

Steve opening his mouth to speak but found himself completely distracted by the sight over Bucky’s shoulder. “Are those your twins with Vision and Clint?”

Whipping around, the merman stared open mouthed at Pietro and Wanda. The silver haired young man was half draped across a slightly shorter man, both with telltale red splotches peeking out from the collars of their shirts as they exchanged weighted looks and quiet chuckles. Wanda was slightly more composed but hanging on every word that left the taller blond man’s lips as they walked with his arms around her to keep her from tripping over her new feet. Both froze at the sight of Bucky, arms crossed and tapping one foot in disapproval

“Shit,” Pietro whispered.

Turning, Bucky press one last kiss to Steve’s lips. “Thank you for the lovely day out, Stevie,” he said as primly as he could without bursting out laughing. Holding his head high, the merman began walking towards the marina, breaking into a run as soon as he thought he had enough of a head start, howling over his shoulder. “I’m telling Tony!”

The twins bravely tried to run after the brunette, screaming and stumbling. “NOOOO!”

Steve’s smile dipped slightly as he watched them go, shaking his head. “I wish I could tell Tony.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chatting with the Void on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KnockoutRambles)  
> 


	7. First Time

The sun was already high in the sky when Bucky pulled himself out of the water in the secluded sea cave. Cursing Wanda and Pietro for making him late, the merman ran across the damp sand, one hand up to shield his eyes from the rain beginning to fall from growing storm clouds. It looked liked their cliff-side picnic was definitely cancelled if the storm didn't blow over soon.

Reaching the lighthouse, Bucky only had to knock once before Steve was pulling the door open with a smile. “I am so sorry I'm late! It was one thing after the next and Pietro would not stop tailing me and-”

Steve cut Bucky off by catching the sides of his face and pulling him in for a long soft kiss that chased away the chill of the ocean. “Hi,” the blond murmured as he pulled an inch away.

Bucky took a breath, smile spreading across his lips. A crash of thunder just overhead nearly stopped his heart and sent him crashing forward into Steve, whipping around with his butterfly knife at the ready to stop the horrors from the trench from getting to the man he loved.

The sight out Steve’s front door of waving grass and the ocean far below clashed with Bucky’s instincts and he dropped the knife with a clatter as lightning flashed above in the sky.

“I've got you, I’ve got you,” Steve said, arms coming up to pull the panicking brunette away from the storm and kicking the front door shut. “Its just weather, you're safe. I've got you.”

“Sorry,” Bucky whispered into the blond’s shoulder, body shaking uncontrollably as he tried to calm down.

“Used to hate storms, too,” Steve murmured, running his fingers through the brunette's long hair. “Couldn’t get it out of my head that it was just lightning and not mortars, that I wasn’t back in the war with my men dying all around me. Something we all have to manage, it's not a weakness.”

Blinking back tears, Bucky pulled away slightly so that he was kneeling between Steve’s legs. “Not really how I wanted this date to go.”

“How about I find some candles and we have the picnic indoors?” Steve murmured, one hand still massaging at the base of his boyfriend’s skull as he retrieved his dropped knife.

Bucky accepted the blade, reassured both by the warm hands on him and the weight of the metal between his fingers. “I'd like that.”

Leaning forward for one last lingering kiss, Steve slowly got up and pulled Bucky with him. He sat the brunette down on his couch before going into the kitchen to find the candles Thor had gotten him with a very suggestive wink when Sam announced that he had a boyfriend at the last Avenger’s brunch.

Bucky fidgeted and tried to focus on the sounds of Steve in the kitchen and the snap of his knife as he twirled it between his fingers. Even still, he flinched as another crash of thunder echoed through the light house. Logically, he knew he was safe, far away from the sloshing waves and angry currents, but he suppressed the urge to press his hands hard over where his gills would be to keep the water and air from mixing and drowning him. Faster and faster, the blade spun as the merman’s mind drifted back to the war, to the battle, to the Hydra.

“How about we play a game?” Steve said, walking back into the room and breaking Bucky out of the darkness in his mind. Setting the candles in his arms down on the coffee table, the blond retrieved a lighter from his back pocket and lit the first one that began releasing a sweet calming scent. “Truth or dare?”

Bucky nodded and set his knife aside, remembering the game from the last time Tony had insisted on having a family game night. “Truth or dare,” he murmured, offering up a small smile.

Sinking into the couch and pulling his legs up so he could sit cross legged and face Bucky, Steve grinned. “Truth.”

Humming for a moment the merman tilted his head then spoke. “If mountains are my favorite, what's yours?”

Steve let out a wistful sigh, eyes growing far away. “I once got lost in Texas, on purpose mind you, and I found this meadow filled with flowers. Red poppies, pink primroses, bluebonnets and buttercups as far as the eye could see. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in all my years walking this earth.”

“I wish I could see it,” Bucky whispered, turning his body to face the blond and letting his head rest against the couch back.

“I'll take you,” Steve murmured, taking the merman’s hands and squeezing them tight. “I promise.”

That all too familiar ache in the part of Bucky’s heart that was born of the sea was back with a vengeance and the brunette was only barely able to squeak out ‘dare’ when asked without bursting into tears. 

“I dare you to eat this,” Steve said, turning to snatch a red wrapped candy off the coffee table.

Eyeing the blond suspiciously, Bucky did as dared and immediately regretted it as the supposed sweet set his mouth on fire. Spitting the thing out, and forcing Steve to dodge it, he whined loudly and fanned at his mouth. 

“Now would you tell Sam that? He leaves them everywhere he goes!” Steve said with a grin while handing the merman a water bottle.

“It tastes like shit and lava,” Bucky mumbled around a mouthful of water. “Truth or dare.”

“Dare,” Steve murmured, “Let you get me back.”

“I dare you to find that damn thing before it molds,” the merman grumbled, taking another drink.

The human burst out laughing but did as he was told, bringing the picnic basket back with him after throwing the Red Hot away.

Between bites of the spread that Steve had made for them, the pair whiled away the afternoon with their game until the food was gone.

“Is it ever going to let up?” Bucky grumbled as his boyfriend cleaned up from their lunch, his back against the arm of the couch. 

Steve’s face lit up with another flash of lightning as he settled back against the couch and pulled the brunette's legs over his lap. “I may know a guy if it doesn't stop soon. Truth or dare?”

“Truth, I don't want to move,” Bucky murmured contentedly.

“Most random pet peeve.” the blond said, steadying his boyfriend’s legs as they jumped slightly from another crash of thunder.

Bucky hummed thoughtfully, trying to pick something that a human would understand. “Women’s jeans have the stupidest pockets.”

“What?”

Holding one hand up with a flourish, the merman slipped it into the pocket of his jeans, stopping with just a quarter of his hand inside.

Steve frowned and reached up to hook his own fingers into the other pocket. “Ok that is one of the stupidest things I’ve ever seen, but why are you wearing women’s jeans?”

“Scuba diver's thighs,” Bucky said with a shrug. “I am, oh what was the lovely little colloquialism Shuri used… ‘dummy thicc.’ Men’s jeans don't fit. Truth or dare.”

“Truth, I don't want to move either,” Steve murmured, pulling his fingers out of the pocket and letting them trail down the brunette's thigh.

“Weirdest thing you’re good at,” the merman said after a moment and only a small flinch at another flash of lightning,

“I’m freakishly good at geometry,” the blond said without hesitation. “Everyone thinks the shield thing is instinct, but I actually do math before every throw. Truth or dare.”

“Truth,” the merman said, deciding to ask about the shield thing on his next turn. 

Said thought left him in a rush as Steve asked, “Do you have any sex questions that Loki didn’t answer?”

“Steve!” the merman squealed, hands flying to his coloring cheeks.

“What?” Steve asked, tone innocent and smile devious. “I'd rather answer any questions you have now instead of when I’m trying to get some.”

The word ‘no’ clung to the tip of Bucky’s tongue as he remembered what Harley had said the day everyone found out about his human. 

Steve appeared to be enjoying the face journey he had managed to cause as Bucky tried to gather enough courage to finally speak. “Can one really get another off with just their mouth?”

Taking a long slow breath, the blond licked his smirking lips before answering. “Some people can.”

A shiver of desire rippled through the merman as Steve’s pupils continued to grow. “Ah, truth or uh, dare?”

“Dare,” the blond purred, turning to kneel on the couch and slide his hands up Bucky’s thighs inch by inch as another flash of lightning lit up the room.

Bucky thought long and hard about the two little words balanced on the tip of his tongue. There was no going back from this, the first step of showing Steve what he really was. If the blond couldn't accept his ravaged body there was no way in all the seven seas that he would be able to accept a tail. 

As the silence stretched between then, Steve pulled back, his smile growing soft as he pulled his hands off of Bucky’s legs. He was giving the merman a way out.

And oh gods, did that make Bucky’s heart want to burst out of his chest it was so full of love. “Prove it,” tumbled from his lips without a second thought, his hand flashing out to catch at Steve’s shirt to keep him from pulling any farther away. 

In a flash of lightning, the two were kneeling, pressed together from thighs to chest. Breathing the same air, lips just touching, they paused again.

“Are you sure?” Steve murmured, sliding one hand up Bucky’s left arm and the other into his hair.

Eyes fluttering, the gentle pressure of his hair being pulled left the merman moaning. But he forced his eyes open to look his boyfriend in the eye. “Yes.”

Any space left between the men vanished as thunder rolled from outside their little bubble of warmth and light. Steve’s hands slipped down the back of Bucky’s jeans and he nipped at the column of his throat, eliciting a high pitched moan from the burnette. 

Bucky shuddered as his hips jumped and twitched against the hard length trapped in Steve’s jeans, unconsciously seeking more friction. He let out a squeak as he was lifted entirely off the couch by the blond.

Carrying the merman towards his bedroom, Steve staggered slightly as Bucky locked his legs around him impossibly tight and continued to grind. Setting Bucky down, the blond quickly threw his shirt off to claim the brunette’s lips again in time with another clap of thunder.

Bucky smiled into the kiss, sliding his hands down Steve’s chest before stiffening and grabbing at the blond’s hands as they slipped under the hem of his shirt. “You might not like what you see,” he whispered, swallowing hard.

Steve tilted his head, smile fading, before slowly pulling Bucky’s shirt off. He swallowed down a growl of rage at the scars that covered his lover’s left arm and spilled down his side to vanish below his jeans. “I wish I could track down the person who did this to you,” he whispered, touching each scar with the reverence he believed they deserved.

“They're dead,” Bucky breathed, watching the blond’s reaction intensely.

“Then I guess I’ll just have to settle with spending every moment you give me showing you just how beautiful and perfect you are,” Steve murmured, keeping their eyes locked as he lowered himself down to press his lips to Bucky’s ravaged shoulder.

The merman kept the blond’s gaze for as long as he could before the tears in his eyes blurred his vision. Brushing them away fiercely, Bucky tightened his legs around Steve’s waist and dragged him back up to his lips as lightning lit the room. 

Love and desire burned hot just beneath the merman’s skin as his moans and gasps filled the small bedroom. He had masturbated before, in the army and out, but this was different. As a merman it took hours to tease his cock out before thrusting up into his fist and sliding the fingers inside his slit. But just moments after Steve touched him, he was hard and aching for something, anything. “Please,” he moaned again, finally feeling Steve’s palm radiating heat through his jeans and into his cock.

“Fuck,” the blond whispered into Bucky’s ear as he fumbled with the zipper, finally dragging the brunette's jeans and briefs down and onto the floor. Shifting to nip and kiss his way down Bucky’s body, Steve paused above his erect member, an almost reverent look on his face.

Gently sliding his fingers through the blond’s hair and taking a firm grip, Bucky breathed those two words again, another flash of lightning reflecting in his eyes. “Prove it.”

Steve grinned, leaning forward slightly to slide his tongue from root to tip. Several licks later, he groaned as the brunette's thick thighs came up, even against his strength, closing in around him.

“Gods!” Bucky gasped, as his body jerked at the assault off all these new wondrous sensations Steve was giving him. 

“Bet you could crush me between these,” Steve moaned, taking the brunette’s cock in his hand and giving him a few slow even strokes. “You're just so damn perfect. Relax baby, relax. Gonna make you feel so good.”

Bucky’s throat clicked as he swallowed hard and let his legs fall flat against the bed so that Steve could readjust his weight over them and pin him down. “Yes yes yes yes.” he whispered, throwing his head back as the blond readjusted his hand and slipped him into his mouth. Running his fingers through Steve’s hair, Bucky moaned even louder as he felt the faint scrape of his lover’s teeth. He found himself falling fast as the erotic edge of danger and absolute trust he had given Steve wound him tighter and tighter. 

“Stevie, my Oceans, please!” he panted, brow furrowing. 

Steve’s eyes flickered up for a moment before sliding even farther down, nose pressing into Bucky’s pelvis as his cock bumped against the back of his throat and letting out a quiet purr.

Bucky came with a silent scream, thunder crashing directly above them as his thighs came up and clenched around Steve as the blond swallowed down every last drop. It felt as if every bone in his body had melted into the mattress and refused to respond to the brunette. He mewled as Steve crawled back up his body, settled in the v of his legs, kissing and smiling against Bucky’s lips.

“You ok?” Steve murmured, voice deliciously rough as he gathering the limp brunette into his arms.

Bucky giggled, his words slurring as he responded. “Can we do that again?”

The blond laughed and slid his hands up and down Bucky’s quivering arms. “As many times as you want.”

The thunder quieted to gentle booms far away as the lovers held each other.

“Need to take care of you,” Bucky mumbled, eyes beginning to droop as he gently slid his hands up and down Steve’s sides.

Shaking his head with a fond smile, Steve pressed a kiss to the back of Bucky’s scarred hand. “No, this was for you. I don't need anything.”

With a wicked kind of smile, the merman took Steve’s hands by the wrists and slid them down his thighs. “You liked them didn't you?”

Rewarded with a low moan and his love’s pupils growing huge, Bucky lowered his voice, speaking in time with a distant roll of thunder. “Then why don't you put them to good use?”

“Fuck yeesss,” Steve whispered, pressing his forehead against Bucky’s for a long moment, trying to keep himself from coming on the spot at the offer. As gently as possible, he flipped the brunette over onto his stomach, fussing over pillow placement until Bucky giggled again and wiggled his ass in the air. Kissing his way up his lover’s back, Steve fumbled about in a bedside drawer until he found the small bottle of lube and sat back on his heels to shove his pants off.

Bowing his back slightly, Bucky bit his lip at the view of his lover finally naked. He imagined what it would feel like to have that thick cock throbbing inside him, to have Steve moaning in his ear as he came balls deep in him. Crooking a finger, Bucky called Steve back to him, the blond covering his entire body as they kissed. The merman moaned into his love’s mouth at the feeling of his slick fingers sliding between his thighs. 

“So sweet, so good, so perfect.” Steve gasped as he slowly thrust between Bucky’s tightly clasped thighs, kneading at them with his hands. 

Breathless little gasps caught in the merman’s lips as he reveled in this new feeling that no other merperson had ever experienced. Alien and intoxicating, Bucky found himself loving the way Steve fucked into his thighs.

The blond’s thrusts sped up quickly, already keyed up from sucking the brunette off, finally catching and faltering as he came and fell forward till his forehead was resting between Bucky’s shoulder blades.

The sun broke through the clouds to cast a ray across the lovers as Steve fell sideways onto the bed. He reached out, eyes bright, and tucked a strand of Bucky’s hair back behind his ear.

The merman smiled, unable to help himself as the words tumbled from his lips. “I love you.”

Any fears that might have bubbled up at the slip of his tongue vanished at the smile spread across Steve’s face.

Pulling the brunette into his arms, Steve whispered back. “I love you too.”

They dozed away the rest of the afternoon like that, in each other's arms and exchanging soft kisses and softer words. The storm clouds cleared just as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind a rainbow and letting the warm autumn sun fall across the blankets and bodies still curled in bed while a crisp breeze whispered through a cracked window.

Bucky let out a soft sigh as he watched the sun sink closer and closer to the ocean waves. “I gotta go,” he murmured as Steve snuggled closer to his back and pressed a kiss to his left shoulder.

“Stay,” Steve murmured, hugging the brunette closer with a hint of desperation in his voice.

For a moment, Bucky was tempted. But that moment passed as all the fears of discovery came rushing back. “I’m not ready,” he whispered, wanting to pull away and curl closer to the love of his life.

“No, no. I'm sorry, you're right. I don't want to push you, I shouldn't have asked,” Steve said, quickly back peddling and letting Bucky go.

The merman rolled over to face the blond and silenced him with a kiss.

They looked at each other for a long moment, each with their own desires that could not be spoken, before Bucky sat up and began pulling his clothes on. He was quickly distracted by Steve’s lips against his neck and back.

Giggling, the merman gently pulled away and tugged on his hoodie. Pausing to look at Steve, kneeling in bed with the sheets wrapped around his waist, he let out a longing moan.

“Go,” Steve murmured, reaching out to pull up Bucky’s jacket zipper and hood over his head. “You are worth however long I need to wait.”

Catching his blond’s lips one last time, the merman pulled away and headed for the stairs.

Moving quickly, Steve shoved the window over the side of his bed open the rest of the way and leaned out to watch Bucky emerge from the front door. He grinned as the brunette blew him a kiss, ducking his head. When he looked up, Bucky had vanished. Steve slowly lowered himself down to rest his chin on his arms and watch the sun sinking into the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -insert a thick thighs save lives joke here-
> 
> Enjoy the fluffy smut while it lasts, the angst is on its way.
> 
> Chatting with the Void on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/KnockoutRambles)  
> 


	8. First Betrayal

Bucky was trying very very hard not to smile when he got the text. One of his favorite things to do when he was in the army was to watch M’Baku put the fear of the gods into the new army recruits. Even after his retirement he would invite himself to float on one side of the parade grounds with an unimpressed demeanor.

“You miserable pond skimmers call that swimming? Four more rounds on the double!” M’Baku hollered, beating his spear butt against the ocean floor before swimming back to Bucky’s side.

“Thank you for coming, the young ones love to try and impress you., the huge merman murmured out of the side of his mouth, gently tapping his friend with the fin of his black tail as the spikes along it opened and closed. 

“You've got a good batch this year,” Bucky murmured, digging in the bag slung over his shoulder for his shellphone. Finally finding the oval device, he flicked it open to see a new message from Steve. He grinned before remembering where he was as M’Baku let out a snort of laughter.

“I am happy for you,” the spiked merman murmured, eyes never leaving his recruits as Bucky quickly snapped his phone shut. “But if he proves himself unworthy of your love-”

“Then you’ll remove his arms from their sockets?” Bucky guessed.

M’Baku smiled but didn't look at his friend. “Then I will attempted to hold back the armies of the ocean kingdoms to give the fool a chance to reconsider.”

Grinning, Bucky swam up to hug his friend and press a kiss to his forehead. “Love you, B.”

“Love you, too, B,” M’Baku called over his shoulder as his friend swam off.

Safely tucked away in a dark alcove inside the palace, Bucky pulled his phone back out and checked his messages.

Stevie: Hey, I know this is short notice but can you come by?

Stevie: I really want to see you.

Frowning slightly, Bucky checked his bag to make sure he had a potion.

Bucky: Of course! Are you ok? Did something happen?

Steve: Sort of, it's complicated. Just want to see my best guy and get my mind off it.

Bucky: Ok, marina 30 min. Love you.

Steve: Thank you. Love you too.

Snapping his shellphone shut, Bucky took off towards the surface. He came up next to the small schooner that Loki had magicked up for him to keep his lame “live on a boat” story from falling apart. Hauling himself up and over the gunwale, Bucky quickly downed his potion and scrambled to his feet. Two taps to the ship’s wheel set it into auto pilot and gave the merman time to dry off and change into a pair of soft stretch pants and a thick cream colored sweater. 

He emerged from the cabin just as the boat slid into its magically reserved spot and he tapped the ropes to lash themselves from the dock. Hopping over the side, Bucky smiled as he spotted the blond head of his boyfriend at the bench at the entrance of the marina. 

Walking up behind Steve, the merman slipped his arms around his boyfriend and kissed his cheek. “What are you drawing?” he asked, looking down at the sketchbook the blond was twisting between his fingers. It was a simple charcoal drawing of the ocean with what looked very much like the tail of a merfolk disappearing beneath the waves.

Steve gave a tired sigh, closed the book with one hand, and pulled Bucky around in front of him. “It’s nothing, my old team driving me nuts. Let’s just go get coffee.”

Bucky frowned but let his boyfriend stand and loop an arm around his waist. “You'll feel better if you tell me,” he murmured, tucking himself into Steve’s side and trying not to feel guilty at all he was keeping from the blond.

Steve said nothing until after they had their coffee and were walking through the city park. “A few years ago, a friend of mine died,” he started, smiling as Bucky made a sympathetic noise and nuzzled against his cheek. “He fell into the ocean and we never found his body. He and his boyfriend were fighting at the time and we, I mean we just blamed it on the guilt Strange must have felt, but ever since then he has been insisting that mermaids took Tony.”

Bucky frowned, the story that his boyfriend was telling him sounded awfully familiar. 

“We figured it was his way of grieving but he just won't let it go!” Steve continued waving his sketch book in frustration. “He's been going on and on about merpeople invading us using Tony’s technology. And then I had to go and make it worse.”

“Make it worse?” Bucky murmured, a sick feeling settling in his stomach at the word ‘invading’.

Steve’s shoulders fell as he let out a great sigh. “This summer I almost drowned and had a hallucination that a merman saved me. Which I was stupid enough to tell Sam about who blurted it out at brunch yesterday. Now Strange is raving about how I am all the proof he needed and that I am lucky to be alive. As if the merman I thought I saw was trying to kill me instead of saving me!”

“You’re not stupid,” Bucky murmured, stopping and making Steve turn to look at him. Biting his lip, the merman hesitated as his fear of another war battled with his fear of rejection. “But there's something I need to tell you.”

“No,” Steve said quickly, shaking his head and cupping Bucky’s check with the palm of his hand. “Don't let my crap with Strange force you into telling me things you're not ready to say. Let's just forget about all this shit and go see a movie or something.”

The merman’s resolve began to crumple as his heart overflowed with love for the kindhearted and understanding human. But he shook his head. “No, if someone is talking about invasions and war then you need to hear this.”

Taking a breath to steady himself, Bucky opening his mouth to say the words ‘I’m that merman’. But the words caught in his throat as a swirl of golden sparks appeared in the air beside them, opening up to a portal that Sam, Clint, Vision, a redheaded woman and a huge green monster of a man leapt through to take defensive stances around them.

“Get away from him, Rogers,” a tall man with salt and pepper hair and a red cloak called as he leapt down in front of them, magic circles around his hands.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me!” Steve shouted waving his sketchbook at his teammates. “This is going too far, Strange!” 

Bucky stared at the man Steve had called Strange, fingers beginning to shake as his instincts screamed at him to fight, to protect the man he loved. 

“He's the merman who tried to kill you,” Strange called, twisting his fingers to change his magic’s shape and color.

Steve opened his mouth to tell off all his old teammates for falling for this idiotic bullshit when Bucky lunged forward, throwing himself in front of Steve and flicking open his butterfly knife. He tried to stop them, but Strange moved faster, shooting out a blood red spell that slammed into his boyfriend and lifted him up into the air. 

As soon as the magic touched him, Bucky began to scream, writhing as the red chains around his body ripped away Loki’s magic and his clothes. It felt like his legs were being sewn back together with rusted nails as a serrated blade cut open his gills. As the last of the sea witch’s magic was stripped away, the spell ended and the merman crashed to the ground. 

Bucky choked and hiccuped, struggling to breath. Lashing his tail as he struggled to sit up, the merman raised his head. “Steve?” he gasped through his pointed teeth, holding out his scarred left arm.

Steve was staring, open mouthed, and didn't even blink as Bucky pushed himself onto his back, huge tears starting to well up in his soft blue eyes.

Taking the blond’s silence as consent, Strange smiled and twisted his magic into black chains that shot towards Bucky as he tried to shove himself away.

Lighting flashed down out of the sky as Thor crashed to the ground between the Avengers and the merman. Shattering Strange’s magic with a single swing of his hammer, the god of the world above let his lightning ripple through his form as he shouted, “None shall harm him!” 

Shocked out of his stupor by Thor protecting his boyfriend from himself, Steve staggered forward to fight anyone who would try and harm the man he loved. He had only taken a few steps when he fell back.

Tears streaming down his face, Bucky had thrown back his head and screamed. Unfiltered by the ocean’s waters, the merman’s scream ripped through the humans, forcing them down as they covering their ears to the pain filled sound. 

The ocean rose up to the sound of the merman’s agony, rushing through the bay and onto the sand. Rising up through the roiling waters, Loki was the picture of the vengeful god of the oceans below surrounded by a green glow and in full battle armor with his trident in hand. The water surrounding him swirled to lift Bucky up and into his king’s arms and tentacles.

“No!” Steve shouted, shoving himself off the ground and running after the love of his life.

Face twisting in rage, Loki lowered his trident allowing a ripple of power to run along it and send a blast of sea water at the blond.

 

Sam leapt forward, raising up the shield in front of Steve to protect him as the water crashed into them. They were thrown back, Sam struggling to keep the blond from getting back up and rushing back into danger.

Lowering his trident, Loki looked to Thor, a complicated look of longing and pain flashing across his face. Schooling his expression, the king bowed his head to his equal as silent thanks.

Thor returned the nod, shifting to stand in front of the merfolk and beginning to spin his hammer as he eyed the Avengers. He had a promises and wouldn't let any harm come to the merfolk visiting his kingdom. 

“Bucky!” Steve howled, trying to tear himself away from his friend as the water receded, taking Bucky and Loki with it. 

“Bucky!” he screamed, fighting past Natasha and Clint as the merfolk reached the ocean.

“Bucky!” he sobbed as he thrashed against the grip of the Hulk, watching the love of his love vanish beneath the waves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting over my Marvel depression, only one more chapter left!!!
> 
> Chatting with the Void on Twitter  
> 


	9. First Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated tags, please read and take care of yourself.

Sam was fuming as he watched yet another one of Strange’s cleansing spells fizzle out over Steve’s head. 

“Maybe it's a Greek variant,” the doctor muttered, twisting his fingers to change the magic circle hovering above his hand.

“Maybe,” Sam spat, stalking over to Strange and resisting the urge to just punch the smug bastard, “he's not under a spell.”

Snorting, the sorcerer waved a hand at Steve. The blond had been handcuffed to a steel chair since he had been dragged kicking and screaming away from the ocean and through a portal to the Avenger’s tower. As soon as the portal had closed, the light had gone out of Steve’s eyes and he had gone limp in the Hulk's arms. Barely responding and utterly listless, the super soldier had to be hooked up to an IV after refusing to eat or drink for two days.

“A spell is the only answer for his self-destructive behavior,” Strange said with a condescending eye-roll at the Falcon.

“The only spell he's under is the one called love, you insufferable buffoon!” Sam howled, shoving Strange away from his friend. “He’s heartbroken! He’ll probably never see Bucky again because of you! And we wouldn't be on the brink of war if you had just accepted Tony’s death instead of blaming the merfolk!”

Flinching at the name of his ex, Strange took a breath and launched into another iteration of the argument the Avengers had been having since that day by the ocean. Natasha and Clint leapt up and shoved the two men apart before a fight could break out. The redhead was siding with Strange while Clint continued to argue on behalf of Bucky and more specifically Pietro. The shouting drew Bruce and Vision in from the other room, the former trying to get everyone to calm down while the latter wrung his hands and stammered meekly about how Wanda would never hurt anyone, those old mermaid stories couldn't be true. 

But there was no calming Sam down. He was pissed at Strange. He was pissed at the situation. But more than anything else, he was pissed at himself.

Sam had gone back to the ocean the second Steve had told him that Bucky had been moments away from telling him the truth. Flying over the dark lighthouse, the Falcon was nearly blasted out of the sky by a bolt of lightning flashing down out of the dark clouds over the ocean. 

Thor had materialized in a shower of sparks beside Sam as he landed on the sand of Steve’s cove. The lord of thunder held up a hand as Sam opened his mouth to explain.

“I know you are here to make things right,” the god murmured. “But Strange attacking young Bucky was a declaration of war.”

Smiling sadly at the look of horror that spread across Sam's face, Thor placed his hand on his shoulder. “I am working with Loki to defuse the situation, but for now the ocean is off limits to the land’s defenders. Go home Sam, Steve is going to need you to have his back.”

Have Steve’s back. If only Sam hadn't jumped in to have his back the second that Steve had been in danger. If only he had let his friend run after the mermen and prove his love for Bucky, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess.

But here they were, and Sam was pissed.

The shouting grew louder and louder, drowning out the rolls of approaching thunder and the balcony doors being thrown open by the wind that preceded Thor’s arrival.

Taking one look at the Avenger’s shouting match over the pale and dull eyed blond chained to a chair, the god of the land and sky had to take a moment to keep himself from blowing the entire room sky high.

“What in the name of the stars do you think you are doing?” Thor snarled as he stormed towards his friends and fellow Avengers.

A moment of shocked silence fell over the group until Strange elbowed his way to the front and favored Thor with a sneer. “That's none of your concern, fish lover.”

Thor tilted his head slightly, tightening his grip on Mjölnir as lightning flashed down his arm and turned the hammer into Stormbreaker. Placing the tip of the axe on Strange’s chest, Thor slowly stalked forward and forced the sorcerer to move out of his way. “I may have abdicated my rule over the human race, but you would do well to remember that I am your god.”

Reaching down, the thunder god took hold of Steve’s bindings and crushed them in one hand. “Loki has managed to convince his people not to invade the surface, but they are free to seek retribution, just as we are free to seek their forgiveness.”

Steve raised his red rimmed eyes and shook his head. “Forgiveness? For what I've done? Impossible.”

Kneeling, Thor set his axe on the floor and took both of Steve’s hands in his own. “There is always a chance, take it for love. Letting go of that chance will be the biggest mistake you could make. Trust me,” the god whispered, the pain in his eyes very much mirroring the look in Steve’s.

Slowly nodding, Steve pulled the needle out of the back of his hand and staggered to his feet to run for the door.

-

Standing on the shore of his cove, Steve slowly sank to his knees. The sky was clear but the waves of the ocean lashed against the shore and the sea breeze whipped sand into Steve’s face.

Where in all the seas was he supposed to start looking for Bucky? He would do anything, the brunette could name a thousand terms and Steve would gladly meet them all, but he had to find the merman first.

Lost in his brooding, Steve nearly missed the faint splash and glitter of the sun off a merfolk’s tail. One of the merfolk surfaced again before diving towards the sea caves. 

Staggering to his feet, Steve scrambled across the sands and slick tide pools, reaching the opening of the caves just as the merperson slipped inside.

“Bucky?” Steve called, fighting to keep his footing on the slippery rocks. ‘Bucky!”

Pietro slowly surfaced in the pool in the middle of the cave. “You hurt him,” he whispered, water dripping down his face and off each bared fang.

“You ripped out his heart,” Shuri murmured as she sunk her retractable claws into the rocks and pulled herself half out of the water.

With a lash of her tail and a loud splash, Wanda landed on the smooth rocks surrounding the pool and began to crawl towards Steve. “We should kill you.”

“Rip you limb from limb,” Rhodey spat as he crawled up next to Wanda and drew a blue bladed knife from his belt.

“We should drown you,” M’Baku murmured, surfacing near the opening of the cave and lowering the point of his spear at Steve.

Fearfully staggering farther back into the cave, Steve froze at M’Baku’s words. 

Drown, that was it! 

Stealing his nerves against the enraged people of the deeps, Steve ran for the shore. Slipping and sliding, he managed to make it past the grasping hands of the merfolk and hurled himself into the churning waters of the cove’s riptide. He was dragged below the surface in an instant but didn't fight it.

Bucky had saved him from drowning that stormy summer’s day so many months ago, he would do it again.

“And if he doesn't?” Steve thought as the waters calmed and deposited him on the sandy ocean floor. If Bucky didn't come then maybe Steve would rather drown.

Steve remembered the feeling of the air slipping between his lips all too well, even if the waters of the cove were nowhere near as cold as the water that had rushed in and filled the Valkyrie, freezing him solid as he slipped away. He could feel himself drifting away again, vision blurring around the edges as a figure loomed up out of the darkness of the ocean.

“Bucky,” Steve whispered with the last of the air in his lungs as the merman he loved gently cupped his face between his webbed hands and brought their lips together. Steve poured every last ounce of his love for Bucky into that kiss, all the happiness he had been given by the brunette’s shy smiles and innocent fascination with the world around him. He gave his heart away in that kiss, hoping it would make up for the pain he had caused.

As their kiss deepened and all of the blond’s love flooded forth, Bucky pulled Steve flush against him and returned it in spades. He gave the love he had felt at the first sight of Steve and love that had grown as they got to know each other. Bucky gave the love he had for Steve showing him the world beyond the ocean, the love for the man who always made sure he felt comfortable and safe in his arms. The scarred merman gave his heart to the human who never once saw him as broken or damaged.

“You really do love me,” Bucky whispered in awe as they pulled slightly away.

“More than anything, I swear!” Steve said, forcing himself not to cling to the merman, to give him a way to leave. “I'll never stop loving you, for all the days I have left on this planet. I'll tell the world, I’ll scream it to the stars! Whatever it takes to prove it. To make up for the pain I’ve caused you.”

“I love you too,” the merman murmured, pressing his forehead against the blond’s. “All I want, all I have ever wanted, was to be a part of your life. And to tell you the truth about what I really am.”

Cautiously, Steve slid his hand down the scars of Bucky’s left arm and gently touched the deeper marks against the dark blue scales of his tail. “You are beautiful,” he murmured, marveling at the smoothness and glitter of the scales. “And kind and inquisitive and adorable and that's all that matters.”

Giggling and blushing, Bucky gave his lover an approving once over. “You're not so bad yourself.” 

Giving Bucky a confused look, Steve glanced down, gasped and immediately started hiccuping. His legs were gone and replaced with a pale blue tail, the same color as Bucky’s eyes, shimmering with flecks of silver. 

Bucky started to giggle as Steve let him go and, continuing to hiccup, twisted his tail, slowly turning himself upside down in the water.

“How is this possible?” Steve asked as Bucky wrapped his arms around his waist and righted him.

“Magic,” Loki said, smiling as he swam up to the pair. “Humans and merfolk were created by the love Thor and I had for each other. Your people were made to be together, and when one gives their heart to the other, a very special kind of magic is born. You are now one and whether on land or sea, with legs or a tail, you can be together forever.”

“No more waking up alone?” Steve whispered, looking at Bucky with desperate hope.

Entwining their tails Bucky gave the love of his life the brightest of smiles. “No more sunset goodbyes.”

With a shaky laugh pushing another bust of bubbles through his gills, Steve pulled Bucky even closer and kissed him again.

“As touching as this is, I feel that I must remind you all of a much more pressing detail,” Tony muttered as he languidly swam up to join the love birds and ocean god.

“Tony?” Steve gasped, doing a double take of his old friend and his metal tail.

“That's what I was trying to tell you that day,” Bucky murmured, tucking himself into the crook of Steve’s neck.

“Remind me to have a very long conversation with Vision about not checking his voicemails,” Tony grumbled as Pepper and Rhodey swam to his side. “First Thor, now you, did anyone get my ‘not dead yet’ message?”

“Focus dear,” his wife murmured in a gentle but firm tone while Rhodey gave Steve’s new tail and the sacrifice it represented a begrudgingly impressed half nod.

Sighing loudly, Tony did as he was told. “If Captain America disappears off the surface of the earth right after the Avengers nearly started a war with the ocean, there will be hell to pay.”

“He's right,” Steve said and swallowed hard. “It was all over the news, Strange wouldn't have to do a damn thing to start an invasion.”

“Wait, Stephen?” Tony asked, holding up a hand.

“Then we'll both go, we’ll all go!” Bucky said in a rush, clutching Steve’s arms. “And show everyone that there's nothing to be afraid of.”

“My ex is the dickbag spearheading this bullshit? Hell yeah, I’m going! So I can punch that cheating bastard in the face!” Tony shouted, putting up his fists and lashing his tail before grabbing the hands of his wife and husband and joined Loki in swimming towards the shore.

Steve smiled in spite of the whirlwind in his head caused by all he had learned in the last few minutes. “Tony is still Tony,” he muttered and let himself be pulled towards the surface by his love.

Bucky giggled, keeping his hold on Steve’s hands as the blond attempted to swim along with the brunette and narrowly missed running into some coral. 

Nearing a gentle slope of sand leading to the surface and dodging a few more rocks, Steve glance over at Bucky. “You sure about this?” he asked, giving the merman’s hand a squeeze.

Bucky nodded, coming to a halt next to the Starks and Loki and just below the surface and laid a hand on the blonds chest, over where his heart now resided. “Show me your world.”

Hand in hand they changed, a shimmer of light turning their tails into legs as they walked up the slope and out of the water followed by a twirl of green magic that wrapped them in thick sweaters and soft jeans. 

As they surfaced, they were greeted by Thor standing in the shallows who held out an arm for Loki to take and steady himself on his tentacles. With the waves lapping at their ankles, the group paused as Pepper, Rhodey and Bucky wobbled slightly. 

Tony glanced across the sand to where the gathered Avengers were standing. “Here we go,” he murmured as Vision broke into a sprint. The genius caught his first born robot son and murmured gentle reassurance to him before introducing his new family.

“Here we go,” Steve echoed, tightening his grip on Bucky’s hand. Hand in hand they stepped up out of the water and onto the sand. Hand in hand, they walked into their future together.

“What do you think?” Loki murmured, leaning his head against Thor’s shoulder as he watched their creations greet each other.

“I think this time will be different,” Thor said, resting his head against the mergod’s. A moment later the thunder god let out a squeak and blushed in time with a smirk spreading across Loki’s face.

Swatting the rogue tentacle away from his ass, Thor shook his head at his old lover. “Loki! Not in front of the children!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wish I could end this with "and that's all she wrote!!!" but I have a sequel and prequel planned. 
> 
> That's all she wrote for now!!!
> 
> Huge thank you to leehanji for creating such beautiful art that has inspired me so much.


End file.
